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'Claws Chase the Cup

Hey, 'Claws! This is our posting thread and we already discussed the rules but I'll brief you again.

-wait for two people inbetween posts
-there is no posting order
-beta eachother's work
-100 word limit

The Prompt:

A group of friends are sitting in the Main Hall of Hogwarts during breakfast when there is a commotion in the hallway. Going out to investigate, the friends find a notice posted on the door leading to the outside of the castle. It reads:

Private professional Quidditch practices to be held on the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch for the next seven days. ONE DAY will be set aside for a group of seven lucky students to receive a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn first-hand from the professionals how to improve their game. The prize will be a match against the professional players played in front of the entire student body. If interested please see Professor McGonagall.

The Great Hall hummed with sleepy chatter and the four house tables gleamed in the pale morning sunlight. Some students flipped through their textbooks; others munched reflectively on bacon or sipped iced pumpkin juice. But at the Gryffindor table a small commotion was underway.

“Gideon, did you hear? Something is supposed to happen today—something to do with Quidditch.” Fabian Prewett’s brown eyes were dancing with excitement.

“Really? Who says?” his twin exclaimed.

“Julie Smythe, the Ravenclaw Chaser.” Fabian pointed across the room at Julie, who waved back. She jumped up and came to take the empty seat beside Fabian.

While Julie slid into the empty seat, Gryffindors sent silent glares in her direction. Ignoring them, she smoothed her freshly pleated skirt and leaned into talk to whisper the news.

"I overheard McGonnagall talking to Slughorn about a professional Quidditch match at Hogwarts or something. Something promotional, I guess."

"Today?" Gideon muttered in disbelief. His brother elbowed him in the side.

"No, but the announcement should go up today." He glanced toward the other end of the Gryffindor table. "We should probably tell Alice, right? She is going to be all over watching both teams’ seekers." Julie and Gideon nodded.

Alice Carmichael was sitting beside her boyfriend, Frank Longbottom, when the others descended upon them with the news.

“Hey, Alice, did you hear? There’s going to be a professional Quidditch match here at Hogwarts?” Julie asked as they scrunched into the spaces left on the benches.

“No!” Alice asked eagerly, “Who? Which teams are playing? When?”

Gideon waved Kingsley Shacklebolt over and gave him the news while Julie tried to answer Alice’s questions.
“We’re not sure yet, I just overheard it, but they should be posting something soon.” Julie’s voice drifted off as a commotion started out in the hall.

Fabian Prewett scrambled to his feet again. “I’ll bet you anything that’s about this Quidditch rumour.”

All six of them followed him into the Entrance Hall. A crowd had gathered around the doors.

Timothy Whisp, another Ravenclaw Chaser, pushed his way out of the pack of students. He was clutching a bit of parchment. Timothy was grinning, and as soon as he caught sight of Julie he waved the parchment and gave a whoop.

“Julie! It’s all true. Take a look at this. I made a duplicate of the notice nailed to the front doors.” He handed Julie the parchment.

“Private professional Quidditch practices to be held on the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch for the next seven days. ONE DAY will be set aside for a group of seven lucky students to receive a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn first-hand from the professionals how to improve their game. The prize will be a match against the professional players played in front of the entire student body. If interested, please see Professor McGonagall,” Julie read breathlessly, quivering with excitement.

That was when a lanky girl peered around Julie, exclaiming, “I think it’s GREAT!”

Alice twirled a lock of her brown hair between her fingers. She examined her seven companions carefully. She doubted any of them could match her Seeker skills. Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Gryffindor team captain, always played Keeper. Gideon and Fabian played as Beaters, and Alice knew she could out-fly them.

But she was worried about Julie Smythe and Timothy Whisp. Both were light and quick. She had seen Timothy Whisp fly in the Gryffindor tryouts last year and she knew that Shacklebolt had been impressed. When Timothy was given the open Chaser position instead she had breathed a sigh of relief.

Alice felt a shake on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw Fabian pointing toward the piece of parchment.

"You know you'll surely get the seeker postition, right?" He flashed one of his famous grins.

"Julie can out-fly me consideribly." Fabian merely shook his head.

"As true as that may be, she is sticking with playing Chaser. I just talked to her. Hopefully, if we can pull you, Gideon, and Julie on the team we might have a shot at winning." He then tilted his head thoughtfully. "We'll need Whisp as well."